


My Fallen Soldier

by Anonymous



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Blood, F/M, Gaang (Avatar) as Family, Gen, Hurt No Comfort, Hurt Zuko (Avatar), Hurt/Comfort, Minor Aang/Katara, Minor Sokka/Suki, Protective Toph Beifong, Toph Beifong and Zuko are Siblings, Toph Beifong-centric, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:35:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26231266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: No one saw this coming. Not even her.
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar), Toph Beifong & The Gaang, Toph Beifong & Zuko
Comments: 9
Kudos: 71
Collections: Anonymous





	My Fallen Soldier

**_My Fallen Soldier_ **

**_我墮落的士兵_ **

She saw the world in such a magnificent way. She was one of the strongest warriors they knew. No one had expected her to leave so soon. Her family, her friends, her students. Anyone. But they couldn’t stop it, they couldn’t stop her unfortunate fate. Not even her. Because even the strongest soldiers have their limitations. She would tell them that she was the greatest, and no one would doubt her. But everyone needed protection too. 

_ “Toph! Thank you so much for coming to visit.” Zuko greeted, his arms open wide for his friend. “Aw Sparky, I wouldn’t miss your birthday for the world. You know this. You can’t get rid of me even if you tried.” She laughed, sending a punch to his shoulder, earning a wince from the Fire Lord. “Have the others arrived yet?” “They’re on their way.” Zuko informed her. Toph gave him a short nod.  _

Zuko sobs into his sullen uncle’s shoulder as he looks at her porcelain face. As pure as a lotus, as peaceful as the mountains she’d hid in as a child. A moonflower tucked in her strong hands. Ones that were now cold. Her eyes would never gleam with the same joy and liveliness they used to. Because now, no one would be able to see those milky eyes again. Poppy and Lao were kneeling beside their daughter’s casket. As horrible as they were parents, no one could keep themselves from pitying the Beifongs, having lost their only child. 

_ “Toph! It’s so good to see you!” “Sugar Queen!” Toph cheered, running into Katara’s open arms. “Toph!” Aang followed, joining the hug. “What’s this? A group hug without me? I’m offended.” Sokka said, wiping a fake tear away. The others laughed and welcomed him into the hug. “Alright, too much affection. You all know how much I hate all this mushy bullshit.” She giggled, causing her friends to roll their eyes. “And Aang isn’t the avatar.” Sokka said sarcastically, Toph punched his shoulder. “Damn, I can’t believe I missed you Meathead.” She scoffed. _

Sokka broke down the moment her eyes closed.

Tears couldn’t stop flowing, Suki held him close as they sat on one of the seats. Aang was bowing as low as he could in respect to her parents, still apologizing for being unable to protect her. But the Beifongs shook their heads, “You made our daughter happy. That’s something we could’ve never given her enough of. And for that, we’ll always be thankful for.” Lao said sullenly, he couldn’t blame any of Team Avatar, because what happened wasn’t exactly in their control. Her students were all crying, their mentor had died. Katara tried her best to comfort them, but the pain was too much to bear, it was too cruel.

_ “Have a safe trip, Sifu.” Her senior student, Penga, smiled. Toph scoffed, “What?” Penga asked, “You better not miss a single day of practice. I can tell if you lie to me, so don’t even try it.” She threatened, and Penga laughed. Ho Tun’s heavy steps came towards them, “Must you leave?” “It’s just a month. I won’t be gone that long.” She said, waving him off. Ho Tun sniffed, “We’re really gonna miss you.” He said sadly, “That’s new.” Toph mused, turning her head towards them, the other students peered down at their mentor. “It’s just, you’ve never left us for that long.” Ho Tun reasoned, and Toph rolled her eyes. “Oh you big baby. Fine, I’ll let you guys have ONE group hug, just one.” Toph offered, and immediately, the blind teen was nearly pushed over from her students coming in to hug her. “I can’t believe how sappy you all are.” Toph jokes, and soon she’s waving them goodbye.  _

“We told her to be careful.” Penga wailed, sobbing into Ho Tun’s shoulder. Ho Tun rubbed her back as he shed his own tears. Her other students were crying back at the academy, some had gone back to pack their things after visiting her casket and shedding their own tears at the sight of their mentor. But they would return for her funeral. “I’m sorry, Penga… Ho Tun.” Katara whispered, attempting to comfort Toph’s first students. The Dark One was off somewhere, probably letting out his own grief alone. “We can’t imagine how you must’ve felt. You guys are probably the closest people to Sifu Toph.” Ho Tun said, and Penga bowed her head in respect to Katara. 

_ “Toph, come on… Wake up, please…” She sobbed, cradling the lifeless body of her friend. “I could’ve saved her!” she screamed at no one in particular angrily, “Katara, there was nothing we could do!” Aang said, “What do you know? You’re just a kid!” She yelled back at him. Aang flinched, but Katara was too grief-stricken to care. “Maybe I am just a kid, but you have no right to treat me this way!” Aang argued, voice shaking, “She was just as my friend as she was yours!” He cried, Katara whirled around in shock, realizing what she’d said. But Aang’s back was facing her. And she sank back down, slowly turning her head back to her friend, ashamed. _

  
  


She took a deep breath and walked over to Aang, an apology was owed between them. “Aang?” She asked tentatively, and he turned to her with a sad face, tears brimming their eyes. “Yeah?” He asked, shakily. And before Katara could completely open her arms to offer her comfort, he wrapped his arms around hers. Her shoulder is damp, and her own tears fall. “I’m sorry.” She sobs, but Aang just keeps crying. 

_ “What’s going on?” She yelled, running up to her friends, who were in the center of the plaza as people ran about, away from the festival. “Ozai Loyalists teamed up with the Dai Li!” Zuko yelled, blasting a ball of fire towards one that tried to shoot fire at them. “Seriously?!” She growled, stomping onto the ground, shooting multiple of them up into the air, making them land with a painful thump. But her vision was limited, the footsteps and screams overwhelming her senses. The battle was long, with the Dai Li coming in multiple clusters.  _

“It’s all my fault.” Zuko cried silently, but Katara shook her head, “You couldn’t have known… there was nothing we could do.” She said shakily, but Zuko disagreed, pulling away from her embrace, he made his way outside. Letting out his pained sobs. He couldn’t protect her. He broke his promise. His legs grew weak, his knees buckled, and he fell to the ground, his hands gripping the grass as if it would change anything. 

_ “For the Fire Nation!” One yelled, but Zuko shot fire at him, effectively distracted, another member threw a blade towards the Fire Lord from his left side. “Zuko!” Toph screamed, sensing the member's movement, she ran as fast as she could, adrenaline pumping through her. She couldn’t bend it to another direction since it was in the air. And when Zuko felt her strong hands push him away and onto the ground, time seemed to slow as Zuko turned his head in shock. He had no other choice but to watch as the blade embedded itself through her abdomen. Blood splattered from her mouth as she fell to the ground. _

When they found him, they joined him. It was just sunrise from their view, the light slowly illuminating them. Gathering around their sobbing friend, they shared a hug, holding each other as they all wept for their fallen soldier. A cold breeze flowing through them from behind. Zuko gripped the dirt, heat going through his hands and onto the land. “I never knew I’d miss the noise.” He chuckled wetly, his friends laughed along sadly. 

_ “Toph!” Zuko screamed, catching her before her body hit the floor. The remaining three wiped the last of their opponents before running over to their fatally wounded friend. “S-Sparky…” She gasped, coughing up more blood. “I’m here.” He said, shock running through him. “A-Are you… Okay?” She said, breathing labored. “NO!” He screamed, and Toph laughed. “D-Don’t lie to me.” She said, a sad smile on her face. “I’m not. My best friend is dying… Why would I be okay?” She snorted, regretting it almost immediately. Katara couldn’t heal her with the blood mixing with the water. “We have to get her out of here!” She cried, “Katara… It’s too late.” Toph whispered, choking on more blood. “I can still save you!” She sobbed hopelessly, Toph smiled sadly. Sokka couldn't let himself cry. “Toph…” He said, shocked as color slowly drained from her face due to the blood loss.  _

_ “Thank you.” She said, Aang shook his head. “You can’t leave! Stay… Fight.” He said, but Toph ignored him. “Thank you… For being my friends, my family… For accepting me for who I am. I love all of you… So much.” “Toph… Y-you can’t go.” Sokka said, his voice barely audible. “And I’m… Going to… Miss you.” She said, her voice growing quieter as she kept going. And finally, her eyes slowly close. Her hand goes limp in Katara’s grasp. They let out a collective gasp of realization, their tears all fall like a stream.  _

**Author's Note:**

> I am officially very sad. :(


End file.
